Cincinnati Bengals should sign C Nick Harris if cut by Cleveland Browns
The beginning of unrestricted free agency is when the bulk of player acquisition occurs, but as the Cincinnati Bengals have proven in recent years, adding veterans from around the league can happen just as frequently right as the season begins. Just last year, the Bengals claimed three players off the waiver wire despite being 31st […]
The beginning of unrestricted free agency is when the bulk of player acquisition occurs, but as the Cincinnati Bengals have proven in recent years, adding veterans from around the league can happen just as frequently right as the season begins.
Just last year, the Bengals claimed three players off the waiver wire despite being 31st in the order. All three players, TE Devin Asiasi, OL Max Scharping, and DT Jay Tufele, are still on the team a year later. They can do similar damage this year in the 29th spot.
And they need only look a few hundred miles north.
Cleveland Browns center Nick Harris is entering his fourth year in the league, and his time in Northwestern Ohio may be coming to an end. According to A to Z Sports' Browns beat writer Brandon Little, Harris might be out of the picture with rookie Luke Wypler already looking the part.
"Nick Harris was drafted out of Washington in the fifth-round in 2020. Unfortunately for him, the Browns just drafted Luke Wypler out of Ohio State at the same position. Wypler has already proven he is worth investing in at the center position and he’s played some guard this preseason too. So far in the preseason, Wypler has held his own and isn’t giving up pressure on the quarterback." — A to Z Sports' Brandon Little
It's not as if Harris himself is a bad player, the Browns simply have an influx of depth along the offensive line and he's gotten very little in-game experience. He's played in just three regular season games in his career.
Injuries have also not helped Harris' case. He suffered a knee injury almost exactly a year ago that wiped out his entire 2022 season.
Harris has returned to full health this preseason and has played well. Pro Football Focus has graded him at 77.7 for the preseason, eighth out of all centers in the league. But Wypler has looked just as good, is younger, and doesn't have the injury history.
The Browns don't need Harris anymore, but the Bengals could absolutely use him as their backup center. Current options include Trey Hill, Max Scharping, Nate Gillam, and Ben Brown.
Hill is a former sixth-round pick who has barely developed in three years at the position and has actually performed better at guard this month. Scharping has been taking center snaps for the first time in his career and has looked decent, but it wouldn't be hard to upgrade from him. Gilliam and Brown are both practice squad candidates more than anything.
While Harris doesn't offer the positional versatility that Hill and Scharping have, he'd be a solid insurance policy should an injury occur to starter Ted Karras. A quality backup center is worth a roster spot even if he isn't a viable option at guard as well.
The Browns certainly wouldn't trade one of their own to a division rival, so the Bengals would have to see if Harris does become available on the waiver wire. It would be a wise move to claim Harris in the last year of his rookie contract.
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Featured image via © PHIL MASTURZO / USA TODAY NETWORK
